Picking Up Rose Petals
by Rowan and Sakura
Summary: One stormy night, Seto finds Jou drinking in the rain…they never expected for love to happen…but if Jou had a chance to do it all over again, he’d do it in a heart beat…even when it ends up in the cold, picking up rose petals in the rain. Ch.4 UP!
1. Chapter 1

Rowan and Sakura, once again, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other anime for that matter. We are ownership-less. Hey! Come back here with our ship! Yes you, that creep in the back with the shady glasses and shifty demeanor! We know you have it and we want it back!

Ahem. Yes. Well…you get the idea.

Warnings: Uh…some smut…well, more lime-ish smut, but still…maybe some cursing…seeing how this was written before the fic itself…anyways…on with the story, right? One last thing- somewhere along the storyline it is to be inferred that Jou has the hots for Seto. Since it's not ever really mentioned flat out, just a heads up.

Pairing: SetoJou…heh !

_Picking Up Rose Petals _

Life was dull and boring before the jaded eyes of Katsuya Jounouchi. Nothing exciting was happening in his life- unless living in the hellhole he called home with the drunk of a father who could barely keep two quarters in his pocket for more than one minute could be called exhilarating. That's why Jou sat at a bus stop bench now, cheap liquor in one hand, his usually clear honey brown eyes glazed with a lassitude borne from intoxication. Glancing down at the bottle in his hand, Jou smirked and took yet another swig.

"Like father like son," he chuckled to himself. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Jou wrinkled his nose as the smell of the cheap booze reached his nose and tickled his senses in an unpleasant way. Why was he drinking such bad crap anyway? Oh, that's right. Because he couldn't afford the good stuff.

Shrugging, Jou finished the bottle off with a grimace, then lazily tossed it into the street just as a sleek black sports car came speeding up. The bottle nearly hit the windshield, and the next thing Jou knew, the car was purring in front of him, the left passenger side window opening and revealing the face of a very angry Seto Kaiba.

"What the hell was that mutt? You nearly broke my windshield!"

Jou glared at the brunette as he replied with a snarling, "What do I care about your stupid windshield, eh?" Oh great, he thought to himself. Just what I need to brighten up my day, Kaiba. I swear the guy follows me around just to spite me!

"Look, mutt, I really don't care whether_ you_ care or not," Kaiba peered at the blonde outside. "Are you drunk?"

Jou glowered at the CEO. "I am NEVER drunk!" he declared.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You are too." Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose as if to soothe a growing migraine. "Get in the car Jounouchi," the brunette enjoined.

"Why should I?" Jou demanded.

Kaiba exited the vehicle and grabbed Jou's school uniform collar, pulling Jou's face within two inches of his face, only averting his head once he caught the scent of Jou's breath. "You are drunk and to save the rest of society having to deal with you, I'm going to get you off the streets and to your home, understand?"

Jou may have been drunk, but he understood what Seto said and his eyes widened in fright. "You can't take me home!" he exclaimed in earnest. "My dad'll kill me if he sees me like this! Just leave me here Kaiba! I won't be doin' anyone harm here, I promise! Just don't take me home!"

Seto was surprised by Jou's sudden outburst, but he merely nodded. "Alright, I'll take you to my place then. Just, get in the car?"

Jou blinked, unsure. Kaiba hadn't ordered him to get in like a mindless servant, but asked like a person with actual thoughts. That was different, and not unpleasantly so. But Kaiba was impatient, and did not appreciate Jounouchi's hesitation. "C'mon already mutt! Do you have mud in your ears? Get in the car so we can get going!" Seto snapped petulantly.

With a glare of disobedience, Jou slid into the passenger seat and buckled the belt. Seto restarted the car and pulled back into traffic as a light rain started outside. The patter of the water dripping onto the roof of the car brought an uncomfortable silence among the two teens. Jou gazed out the window at the falling rain, his drunken eyes seeing the rain but not understanding it.

"Why were you drinking?"

Jou was startled out of his reverie by the sudden spoken words. "Nani?"

"Why were you drinking Jou?" Seto repeated his question with patience.

Jou frowned as he pondered the question. "Because of you."

"Me? Naze?" Seto then smirked, comprehension coming clear to him. "Because of Shizuka and I-" (naze?- why?)

"Un." Jou frowned and gazed back out at the heavy precipitation surrounding the little black car as it sped along. (un- yes)

Seto sighed peevishly. "Look Jounouchi, I know you're not happy with the fact that I'm dating your sister, but your querulous behavior these past few weeks isn't helping her feel better. If you care about her, couldn't you try to be accepting?"

Jou snorted contemptuously. "Do you want to be friends?" he asked in a nasal, mocking voice.

Seto stuck his nose pretentiously in the air. "I'm not looking for friends, just a kinder attitude from you." Seto's tone softened as he added, "Shizuka really loves you Jou. Your disapproval of who she dates is really upsetting her. She would like to have your approval in our relationship."

Jou couldn't believe Kaiba was playing the 'mean big brother' card against him! "Just wait until Mokuba starts dating, then you'll understand what it's like," he threw back.

Seto laughed. "I'll only understand if he decides to date you, mutt!"

Jou glared at Kaiba as he continued chuckling. "Y'know, it'd be easier to be nice to you if you would stop calling me 'mutt' and 'third rate duelist'. Jounouchi works fine for me." Jou's eyes sought out Kaiba's in order to inculcate his point into the brunette. "Or better yet," Jou added ponderously, "don't speak to me at all!"

A silence fell upon the two like clouds descending upon the earth; wet, clammy, and uncomfortable. Seto made himself busy with driving, and a good thing too as the rain was coming down in torrents, making driving a daunting task for the brown haired teen.

"Goddamn this rain!" Kaiba snarled under his breath.

Jou snorted. "Yo, Kaiba," he said, smirking, "if the rain's distracting your driving, maybe we should stop and wait for it to pass?"

CRRRAK! A flash of light shot up from the ground fifty feet away from the speeding vehicle, lighting up Jou's flushed face, soppy golden locks, and Seto's pale complexion and tensed knuckles clutching the wheel, a trace of terror lighting up his cerulean eyes as he stared at Jou.

KABOOM! A crash of thunder sounded, near deafening the two, Jou's hands flying up to cover his ears as Kaiba winced.

"I don't like to admit this, but that's a good idea you have Jounouchi."

Jou, staring out his window at the pernicious thunderstorm surrounding them, did not answer, until, a few moments later, he cried out in relief. "Over there! A motel!"

Seto glanced over to a yellow neon sign. The sign was old, the lights flickering feebly, barely visible in the dark evening. But it was definitely marking a motor hotel and Seto was not about to be picky in this weather and company. As quickly as he dared, Seto pulled and parked his car into the gravel driveway.

"You stay here, I'll go check in," Seto commanded, leaving Jou as he ran into the motel office. A moment later he came jogging back, his trench coat soaked and his brown bangs plastered to his face. Sliding back into the vehicle, he drove down a little ways, stopping at the end of the line of rooms. "We'll just stay here for the night."

"But we have school tomorrow!" Jou expostulated.

Kaiba blinked at the blonde. "So?"

"What'll we do in the morning?"

Kaiba just shook his head in exasperation. "We'll figure that out then. Now c'mon, let's get inside." Seto opened his door abruptly, darted out into the rain, and slammed it shut. Jou watched Kaiba's coattails flapping like wings as Seto dashed through the downpour to the door. When Jou saw Kaiba open the motel door, he hastened out of the car and out into the rain, following in his companion's footsteps to the room.

"I've got this bed!" Jou said exuberantly, jumping on the bed farthest from the window.

Kaiba just shrugged and sat on his bed. "Whatever, mu- Jounouchi." He then proceed to pull his now soaked trench coat off, flinging it on an armchair, which was soon followed by his (probably very expensive) slacks and chemise. Only when he was standing in his undershirt and boxers did Seto sense a pair of eyes staring intently at his person.

Turning, Seto glanced at Jou warily. "Can I help you with something?" he asked coldly.

Jou blushed and become conscious of the fact that he had been staring fixedly at the brunette as he had stripped. "Anou…uun. Daijoobu." (anou- um; uun- no; daijoobu- I'm fine)

Seto arched his eyebrow inquisitively, but said nothing. "I'm going to take a shower," he announced, stalking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

"Hmm, that creates quite a nice mental image,"Jou said quietly to himself, lying spread-eagle across his bed.

Sighing, Jou sat up, hunching his shoulders miserably. Then, with much ennui in his movements, he picked up the remote to the television and turned the box on. Staring with glazed eyes at the anime blazing across the screen, Jou came to the realization that he was no longer drunk (which of course means that he was still very much intoxicated). "Well, I only had two bottles of beer; I must have very low tolerance. Heh, go figure, right?"

"Talking to yourself mutt?" a cold, amused voice said over Jou's shoulder. Whirling around, Jou glared up at Kaiba, who, much to the blonde's surprise (and, he surmised to add with chagrin, quite a bit of delight as well), was dripping wet with only a towel wrapped about his waist. Yet despite Seto's very edible state, Jou was not about to let his comment pass unnoticed.

Jumping up, Jou glared two inches up at aoi eyes, a flash of fire alight in his own amber ones. "What did I tell you about calling me mutt!" (aoi- blue)

Kaiba smirked at the blonde and said in a quiet, taunting, voice, "Oh, the little puppy doesn't like his master calling him names?"

Jou growled deep in his throat, but not from what Seto thought.

Kaiba continued his teasing. "You even sound like a dog!" he laughed, his lips pulled back in a mirth-filled expression, showing pearl-like teeth and the red cavern of his mouth.

Jou glared in anger. "It's not funny!" he yelled. "I thought you wanted me to be nicer to you; more accepting of you! But how can I do that when you make fun of me all the time?" Jou turned away with fury, lifting the sheets on his bed and burrowing himself beneath them.

Seto, surprised by the look of hurt in Jou's eyes, went quietly about his business, dressing in silence. Any other time Jou would have taken this as an opportunity to ogle Seto, but so enraged was he that he refused to glance the brunette's way.

Seto slipped into his bed moments later, turning the lights off and leaving Jou and himself in the pitch dark. Pulling the sheets up to his chin, he attempted to fall asleep, yet his attention was irritatingly fixated on the body in the other bed. Sighing inwardly, Seto spoke into the apprehensive tension of the dark. "Does it really hurt you that much Jounouchi?"

A silence followed the brunette's question, and assuming that the blonde had already fallen asleep, he settled down to do that as well.

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

Seto was surprised into awareness at the sound of Jou's sleepy, confusedly-drunken voice. "Does it really hurt you that much?" he repeated, not unkindly.

"Being called a mutt?"

"Un."

"Of course it does."

"Naze?"

Seto heard Jou move beneath his sheets and suddenly found the light on in between his face and that of Jou's. "What do you mean why, Kaiba? It's an insulting term!"

"I'm sorry you interpreted it that way. I never meant it as an insult."

Disbelief covered Jou's face like a blanket, smothering any drowsy inclinations. "You didn't? Then how was I supposed to take it?"

Seto smiled to himself as he explained. "I've always thought dogs were loyal and, seeing you around your friends, your fierce loyalty to them reminded me of that quality. And, well, the way your hair falls into your eyes like that just, anou, reminded me of a mutt, because mutts always have the cutest eyes."

Jou stared, stunned, at Kaiba as Seto's face grew bright pink at the possible misinterpretation of his last statement. "You called me mutt because you _admire_ me?"

Seto nodded, blushing floridly. "Hai."

"Wow, Kaiba…just wait until I tell Honda!"

Seto frowned suddenly, and Jou glanced worriedly at him. "Did I say something wrong Kaiba?"

Seto shook his head. "No, it's just if you want me to call you Jounouchi, then I'd prefer you call me Seto. I'm not just a Kaiba, y'know."

Jou's eyes widened. "You'd let me do that?"

"Un."

"Okay…"

"So, why did you sound amazed that I could possibly admire you? Is it that impossible?"

Jou blinked at Seto, eyes wide and Seto began to suspect that he had suddenly sprouted two extra heads. "Well, you do act very sanctimonious around everyone; it's as if everyone's beneath you."

"Really? Am I that cold?"

Jou nodded his head. "That's why we were so surprised when you showed an interest in Shizuka."

"Were you surprised Jounouchi?"

"Of course I was!" But the look on Jou's face told Seto that he had felt more than just mere surprise at the unexpected pairing of his sister and the CEO.

"Just surprised? Because there's something you're not telling me Jounouchi; something I feel I have the right to know."

Jou glared over at the brunette. "There you go again; ordering people around like your employees! And for your information, you're right! I was downright jealous of Shizuka to be the one to evoke human emotions into you first! That was my job; I wanted to be that person!" Jou fervently whispered into his bed sheets.

Seto stared at Jou in shock. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jou blushed, but stuck his chin out defiantly and answered with pride, with a hidden undertone of regret in his voice as well, concealed beneath his bold confessions. "The reason I fought you so often these past months is because…I love the flash of anger in your eyes, the way they light up with passion. I wanted to see those eyes everyday; but you'll look at Shizuka with that same passion now, and it won't be born from anger. And I wanted to be the first person who ever got those eyes, those glances of passion and lust. I'm jealous of my own sister for dating you. Isn't that terrible?"

Seto, stunned, turned over in his bed, his back towards Jounouchi. Rejected, Jou rolled over as well, inwardly cursing his big mouth and hot temper.

Seto stared at the blank wall in front of him and realized he could see. Sighing, he told himself to turn off the light, but he was unwilling to face Jou after his huge confession. 'Is he crazy? Why would he ever …lust after me like that? Is it lust? Or would Jou think of it as love? We've been enemies forever…what could make him crave the…what did he call it? "glances of passion and lust"? Jealous of his own sister? Naze?' Finally, Seto could not stand to have the light on, so he turned once more to face Jou's back, and he reached out for the light. But, pausing, he asked himself, 'Should I talk to him? What would be the polite…human thing to do? Does he want to talk to me?'

"Kaiba?"

"I told you to call me Seto." The brunette's response was immediate, and the CEO cringed after he snapped so quickly at the blonde. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh.

Jou sighed. "Seto…"

This time Seto's answer was more deliberated and came out as a gentle whisper. "Hai?"

"I'm sorry." Jou buried his face into his pillow.

Seto slipped out from under his covers and walked over to the other side of Jou's bed, kneeling down so he could look the blonde in the eye. "Sorry for what?" he inquired, tilting his head to the side, catching Jou in a straight forward stare.

Jou tried to look away from Seto's gaze, but the brunette's arm shot out and grabbed his chin, gently but firmly keeping it faced towards him. "Sorry for admitting that. I shouldn't have."

"Is it your fault you feel that way?" Seto asked softly.

Jou looked confused as he pondered the brunette's question. "It must be someone's fault…right?" he finally said, puzzled.

Seto shook his head, his eyes still locked on Jou's. "It's not your fault that you just happen to feel the way you do. It's just the way things are. So never feel sorry for the way you feel, okay? Cherish your feelings; they're the only ones you've got." Seto chuckled softly at his own words. "That from a guy who should know, right?" Seto added with a wink. Then, releasing Jou's chin, he made a move to stand up.

"Not so fast," Jou commanded, grabbing Kaiba's wrist firmly and pulling him back to his eye level.

Seto's eyes were wide with surprise. "What is it?"

Jou looked down at the bed sheet, his face flushing an apple red. "I was wondering if you would do me a favor…" he muttered.

Seto sat down on the bed beside Jou, tired of standing. "What kind of favor?" he inquired, curious.

"Would you…" Jou paused, unsure.

"Would I what?"

"Would you…let me kiss you?" Jou looked up into Seto's eyes imploringly. "Just once? Just to see what it's like?"

Seto was taken aback by Jounouchi's request. What would Shizuka think if she knew what her brother was asking of him? But…well, Shizuka would never need to know, right? "Jounouchi…"

Jou looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that of you."

Seto's hand reached under Jou's quivering chin and guided his face back in Kaiba's direction. "You sure you want a kiss from me? I'm not that great of a kisser."

Jou blinked. "Did Shizuka tell you that?'

Seto blushed and nodded. Jou laughed, if half heartedly. "Shizuka's not a good judge. She said Otogi was a wildly amazing kisser. I found out later that-" Jou paused, unsure whether he ought to continue his story or not.

"Found what out?"

Jou laughed nervously. "Well, Otogi and I wanted to experiment, you know, to see whether we had homosexual inclinations or not and…well, obviously we had to kiss, right? Well…let's just say that Shizuka was… off about Otogi's kissing abilities."

Seto pondered this information, his eyes turned to the floor. Jou became nervous, wondering if he had said something wrong. Finally, Seto lifted his head and looked at Jou once more. "So, what were the results?"

"Nani?"

"What did you find out from your experiment?" Seto asked.

Jou blushed again. "Well, you see, our experiment was unsuccessful- we both figured we were straight as arrows. But, well, at the end of our experiment, we invited Honda to join us, just so we could tease him- y'know, scare him. Well, turns out Honda's one helluva kisser, and Otogi liked it so much, they're now dating. Heh, funny, isn't it?"

Seto was silent a moment before he spoke. "Jou, why do you want me to kiss you?"

"Well…I guess…I'm just, curious. Y'know?" Jou's hands were clasped tightly together, and he was sitting quite straight in the bed now.

"Is it just curiosity though?"

Jou cocked his head to the side, reminding Seto of an attentive puppy. "What else could it possibly be?"

Seto laughed. "You surprise me Jounouchi!"

"Nani? Why?"

Seto smiled. "You're so naive! You say that you just want to kiss me out of curiosity and I believe you. But if it were anyone else in our situation, I would suspect them of trying to seduce me."

Jou blinked. "Is that what you thought I wanted from you? Sex?"

Seto nodded. "At first, yes, that's exactly what I thought you were trying to get. I see now I was wrong."

"So…" Jou looked down at his hands entwined in the bed sheets. "Now that you know all I want is a kiss, are you willing to…to let me kiss you? Now that you know that that's all I want, and nothing more?"

Seto shrugged. 'I guess it couldn't hurt, right? It's just a kiss, after all. And Jou won't try anything…weird.' "Sure, I'm game," he said out loud. In his head, though, the little voice inside it had to get its last word in.

'Can you trust yourself not to try anything though?'

Jou smiled lopsidedly, happy that Seto didn't mind, but nervous that he would royally screw up his only chance. Cautiously, he leaned up into Seto, his face inching towards Kaiba's, lips parted and eyes closed. Sighing softly, Seto crossed the distance between their mouths fluidly. Jou smiled against Seto's lips and, a few quick seconds later, the kiss was over.

Seto moved away from Jou, feeling suddenly awkward around the blonde. "Uh…so…"

Jou's eyes opened to look at the brunette. "Hai?"

Seto laughed uncertainly. "Well…how was it?"

Jou blushed. "It was…nice," he said simply.

"Oh…"

Jou cringed. "I mean, well…it was very gentle, but…it was kind of quick, wasn't it? I really don't know what I felt…"

"So what now?" Seto asked.

Jou shrugged. "I guess…I don't know."

Seto inched over to Jou and put his hand on Jou's nervously fidgeting ones. "Maybe…a longer one would help?" And before Jou could respond, Seto's lips were once more on his, kissing him deeply.

Jou shivered as he felt Seto's hands wrap around to the small of his back, his fingers playing with the edge of his t-shirt. Eyelids fluttering, Jou pressed his body to Seto's, his hands finding the brunette's shoulders and gripping them tightly as they kissed.

Seto moved forward in an attempt to get closer to Jou's warmth, his mouth bruising on the blonde's. The brunette's tongue darted out, caressing the lips gently moving against his; demanding entry. Jou willingly allowed the probing edifice into his mouth, relishing in Seto's slow and ravenous exploration. Moaning softly, Jou's hands found their way into Seto's hair, his fingers grabbing his scalp and pulling the taller teen closer still.

It was at that sudden movement that Seto came to his senses and abruptly released the blonde, moving swiftly to the end of the bed. Breathing heavily, Seto stared into space, his mind numb with shock. 'I…just kissed Jounouchi …twice! What was I thinking?' Seto paused. 'Was I thinking? What does this mean?' Glancing at Jounouchi at the head of the bed, Seto sighed. 'That first kiss…it was nothing! But why did I kiss him again?'

Jou blushed when he looked up into Seto's intent blue eyes. "Um, Seto…what was that?"

"A kiss…" Seto said warily.

Jou laughed softly. "I know, but…why did you kiss me again? I only asked for one."

"You didn't like that surprise?"

Jou shook his head. "Oh, no, it's not that…only, well, why did you do that?"

Seto shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Oh."

"You said you didn't know how you felt when I kissed you the first time. Wasn't that the point of me kissing you in the first place? So you could find out whether you would feel anything?"

Jou nodded. "Yeah…"

"I guess that's why I kissed you again. So you could find out." Seto stood up from his seat at the end of the bed and walked over to his bed, sliding under the covers and lying down on his side facing Jou, who had been watching him the whole time. "So, what did you feel this time?"

Jou looked down at his hands laying limply in his lap. Smiling, Jou answered. "I liked it. It was…something I'll be able to keep forever." Jou looked up and smiled sadly at Seto. "I'll be less jealous of Shizuka now, if I can always remember that kiss. Domo arigatou gozaimasu."

"Hmm, whatever you say Jou," Seto mumbled incoherently as he slipped into slumber.

"Goodnight Seto," Jou whispered back, equally tired. "I love you," he added silently.

A stab of moonlight pierced the crack between the cheap maroon curtains, streaming over the peaceful faces of the sleeping teenagers.

The rain had finally stopped.

_TBC…_

Yup, nope, that is not the ending! In fact, the story's just begun! I've got at least twenty more pages to go, and growing! I'm going to have to edit some scenes for…rating purposes, but most of the story…well, it's half written already! Anyway, I wanted to get this up for one purpose only- today, April 19th, is Honda Hiroto's birthday! Yup! So…

Happy Birthday Honda!

Now that that's out of my system…please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Rowan and Sakura, once again, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other anime for that matter. We are ownership-less. Hey! Come back here with our ship! Yes you, that creep in the back with the shady glasses and shifty demeanor! We know you have it and we want it back!

Ahem. Yes. Well…you get the idea.

Warnings: Uh…some smut…well, more lime-ish smut, but still…maybe some cursing…seeing how this was written before the fic itself…anyways…on with the story, right? One last thing- somewhere along the storyline it is to be inferred that Jou has the hots for Seto. Since it's not ever really mentioned flat out, just a heads up.

Pairing: SetoJou…heh !

_Picking Up Rose Petals _

The next morning, an anxious crowd greeted Jou and Seto as they pulled up in the sports car. Jou immediately recognized Yuugi standing at the school entrance, and when his violet eyes lighted upon Jounouchi in Kaiba's car, he ran up to the door and wrenched it open. Shizuka was right behind him, dashing over to the other side of the car and falling into Kaiba's arms with relief.

"Jou, we were so worried about you!" his diminutive friend exclaimed, throwing himself on Jou in a welcome embrace.

Standing behind Yuugi were the worry-strained faces of Anzu, Honda, Otogi, and Bakura. "Jou, what happened to you?" the brunette exclaimed as she too took the blonde in her arms.

"Yeah man, what gives? I get a call from your old man at eleven o'clock saying you ran out at eight! Where the hell were you?"

"And why are you in Kaiba's car?" Otogi added.

Anzu, who had been squeezing Jou in a crushing hug, glanced over his shoulder. She blinked as she looked into Seto Kaiba's icy blues. "Oh, hello Kaiba. How are you?"

"I'd appreciate it very much if you all took this little reunion _away_ from my vehicle," he said coldly.

Anzu pouted at Seto's apparent bad will towards her and her friends and disentangled her arms from around Jou's neck with a huff. Jou got up slowly, looking towards Seto and his sister. "Thanks for the lift," he said at last.

Kaiba shrugged. "Don't mention it Jou," Seto said abruptly, arising from his seat in the car and slamming the door shut.

Jou turned to his friends as well, closing the car door with less dramatics than the brunette. "I guess we should go inside, huh? Don't want to be late, do we?" he said with an all too cheerful smile.

Bakura, Yuugi, and Anzu laughed. "You mean you're actually worried about your attendance Jounouchi?" the white haired transfer student inquired with a smile.

"Maybe getting lost actually did him some good!" Anzu suggested.

Honda added his two cents in with, "I just think Kaiba's rubbing off on him."

"Jou has a good idea guys. The bell's going to ring any second now and-" Yuugi was cut off by the loud clang of the warning bell. "And there it is now! C'mon guys, lets get inside, shall we?"

The group migrated over to the school building, some more reluctant than others. When they reached the school doorway and Honda, Bakura and Anzu were preparing to go down one hall while Otogi, Yuugi and Jounouchi another, Anzu turned to Jou.

"You owe us your story at lunch Jou; is that clear?"

"Yes, yes, it's clear!"

Anzu smiled and winked good-naturedly. "Good- just make sure you don't load up on food and make yourself incapable of comprehension! See you in Physics!" Anzu turned to her boyfriend and bent down to give him a peck on his cheek. "See you later Yuugi!"

Yuugi, blushing, nodded. "Right; I'll see you in History. Bye Honda, Bakura!"

"You guys have fun in math," Honda said, but by the look on his face it was obvious how much he was glad it was them going and not him. "See you at lunch Ryuuji."

"What, no goodbye kiss?" Otogi pouted when Honda, Anzu, and Bakura started walking away.

Sighing, the brunette quickly pecked the raven haired teenager on the lips. "How could I forget?" he jibed as he ran to catch up with the other two.

Otogi and Jounouchi flanked Yuugi as they made their way to class. By intervals, Jou heard the light, wistful sigh of Yuugi and the deeper, lustful sigh of Otogi on his right. Finally rolling his eyes, he burst out, "The way things are going in our group, Bakura and I will end up a couple and then our group of 'friends' will end up being one big love orgy!"

Otogi and Yuugi turned as one to shoot questioning looks at their friend. "Jou, what was that?" Otogi vocalized their question.

Jou shook his head. "It was nothing. Just a thought."

_BRRRRIIIING!_

"Oh shit, that's the last bell!" The three charged down the hall, luckily not the only ones late to class, and slipped into their room just as the teacher was starting the lesson.

"That was _close_," Yuugi leaned over and whispered to Jou.

Jou nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Otogi leaned forward towards the two others. "What are you guys talking about?" he whispered loudly.

Jounouchi and Yuugi shot Otogi a warning look, but unfortunately, the sensei had already caught then talking.

"What are you three gentlemen discussing? Hopefully number twenty-three of your homework."

Otogi, Yuugi, and Jou all nodded their heads with innocent expressions plastered to their faces. "Of course, sensei Okumori. I was just asking Yuugi whether he got that question right because I had trouble with it last night," Otogi said promptly.

Sensei Okumori squinted her beetle black buggy eyes at the three boys. "May I see your homework sheet Otogi-kun?"

Otogi smiled and waved it proudly in the air. "Certainly, sensei Okumori. And might I add that your blue checkered dress is most becoming on you this morning!"

Jou frowned. "Suck up," he whispered to Otogi.

"You're just jealous you don't have the same relationship with sensei Okumori as I do."

Jou turned his head to look at his black haired friend. "Nobody has the same relationship with sensei Okumori as you do," he joked.

"Mister Jounouchi, would it pain you too much to _face forward_?"

The rest of the class laughed at Jou's reprimand as he turned his red face forward. Sensei Okumori was glaring across the classroom at the golden haired troublemaker. "And where is your homework sheet?"

Jou blushed more as he realized that he had left it at home when he ran out the night before. "I…I forgot it at home," he said quietly into his lap.

Sensei Okumori raised a silver eyebrow. "Speak up, Jounouchi-kun!" she demanded.

"I don't have it," Jou said louder this time.

"Yes he does!" a voice beside the blonde piped up. Jou lifted his head to look at Yuugi.

"I do?"

Yuugi nodded and pointed at Jou's desktop with a grin. "You don't remember taking it out at the beginning of class?" he said.

Jou looked at the paper on his desk and smiled when he realized it was Yuugi's homework sheet. "That's right; how silly of me! I was thinking of Physics. I have my homework sheet right here!"

Sensei Okumori raised her other eyebrow. "I think something funny is up, but if you say that is your homework sheet, I'll believe you." Jou sighed in relief. "_This_ time," she added.

Meanwhile, Seto and Shizuka had not returned to the school building as the others had. When the warning bell rang, the pair were meandering across the school grounds, talking and walking arm in arm.

"Seto, why did you drive Katsuya to school today?" Shizuka asked quietly.

Seto looked down at his shoes. "I don't know how much I can tell you Shizu."

"What happened? You guys didn't get into trouble, did you?" Shizuka's caramel eyes shot up to search Seto's stony visage.

"Well, I don't know if your brother would appreciate me telling you what condition I found him in."

Shizuka stopped walking, and therefore so did Kaiba. "Seto, please tell me. If Katsuya was in trouble, I think I should have the right to know."

Sighing, Seto plunged into his story. "I found Jou by the side of the road at around ten o'clock last night. He was…drinking." Shizuka gasped, but Seto did not give her time to comment. "I stopped my car and offered to give him a lift back home, but he refused, so I told him I'd take him back to my place. He agreed, so we were driving back. That's when we got caught in a heavy thunderstorm and we decided to stop at a motel for the night. And that's pretty much it."

"Katsuya was drinking? But…why? Isn't he happy? He's got great friends, and I mean, sure, he's not a genius like you, but he doesn't do _too_ terrible in school…and he knows what it's done to otousan…I just don't get it." Shizuka shook her head in disbelief.

Seto started walking again, gently pulling the girl on his arm into motion as well. "I lied earlier when I said that was all." Seto turned to face Shizuka, taking her hands into his. "Shizu, your brother admitted something to me that it seems he's been keeping secret for quite awhile."

Shizuka's forehead creased in concern. "What is it Seto?" she murmured quietly.

"Jou…he told me that for awhile he's had a crush on me."

Shizuka's eye's widened in surprise. "What? No, that's not possible! Katsuya loves Mai…if he liked you, why did he never say anything?"

Seto shrugged his shoulders. "Possibly he was afraid of losing his friends' trust and loyalty."

"But we were all fine when Honda and Otogi got together! Why would he think we'd react differently?"

Seto, looking over Shizuka's shoulder, spotted a bench behind the girl. "Shizu, let's sit down. There's something I have to tell you."

Pulling her over to the seat, they sat down, knees touching. "I'm listening."

"Shizuka, your brother and I…we kissed last night." Seto's voice was low and quiet and Shizuka had to lean forward in order to hear him.

"Nani wa?" (What?)

Seto's shoulder's hunched. He couldn't understand why he found it so difficult to tell Shizuka this. He didn't feel anything, so why should it matter, right?

_Seto's hands roamed around Jou's waistline, ending up with a purchase on the small of his back, pulling the blonde closer to him. The warmth of Jou's body against his own was almost too much to take…_

Seto shook his head, trying to erase the image from his mind. "Jou asked for a kiss, so I kissed him."

Shizuka nodded. "That all?"

Seto smiled sheepishly. "You know me too well, Shizuka. And you're right…I kissed Jou a second time after the requested kiss. A fit of madness, I think."

"Did you feel anything?" Shizuka's voice was gentle and coaxing; Seto was surprised not to hear some resentment or disgust.

The brunette shook his head, then shrugged. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. But, Shizuka…you're not mad?"

Shizuka smiled. "Why should I be? You kissed, I understand that. And the situation was such that something was bound to happen!"

Seto exhaled heavily. "Shizuka, I felt…something. Otherwise, I wouldn't have kissed Jou twice. Can I have some time just to think things out?"

Seto looked up as he felt Shizuka's soft palm slide over the back of his hand. "You mean a temporary rest period in our relationship? I don't see why not. Whatever's best for you Seto. Just know, I'll wait for you, if you find there are no feelings."

"And if there are…" Seto trailed off.

"I'll be fine with that as well. So, friends?"

Seto smiled. "Friends for now?"

"Friends forever!"

"Alright Jou, you owe us your story!"

Jou looked up from his roast beef and turkey sandwich, compliments of Yuugi, and sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you what happened last night.

"My dad and I had a fight, I got angry, ran out of the house. I walked around for awhile when it started to rain. Kaiba drove by, offered me a ride, and I was too wet to complain. Rain got really heavy, and we had to stop at a hotel for the night. End of story." Jou picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite out of it.

Everyone else simply blinked at Jou's obviously lacking story.

"C'mon Jou, tell us the whole thing!" Honda whined.

Jou glared. "I di' tell 'ou th' 'ole thi'," Jou said through his sandwich.

Anzu frowned at her friend. "Don't talk with your mouth full!" she scolded. "And don't think we're stupid either."

"Wha's tha'-" Jou began, but with a warning glance from Anzu and a nudge in the ribs from Otogi, swallowed the rest of his bite before speaking again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we know when you're lying," Yuugi answered from Jou's left.

Jou folded his arms across his chest defensively. "I wasn't lying! That's what happened; I swear!"

"I think that's all we're going to get out of him right now," Bakura spoke up. "I vote we just live with the story he's given us for the present. He'll tell us the details when he's good and ready to."

Yuugi, Anzu, Honda, and Otogi grumbled their agreement with Bakura's suggestion. "I still think you're lying, Jou," Honda added.

"So, as you guys know, Halloween is coming up soon!" Otogi piped up as everyone began to turn their attention back to their lunches. "And I've decided to throw a Halloween party this year at my place!"

Anzu glanced up, interested. "Who's invited?"

Otogi grinned as he seemingly by magic pulled out of his bag a pile of bright orange paper. "The whole school is! I need you guys to help me put these fliers up after school."

"I'll help you Otogi!" Yuugi volunteered.

"Me too!" Bakura and Anzu said at the same time.

"Count me in," Honda added.

Otogi turned to Jou with a smile. "What about you Jounouchi?"

Jou shrugged. "I'm not doing anything else. Why not?"

Otogi nodded in approval. "Good. Now, all we have to do is find Shizuka and see if she'll help as well."

"Help with what?"

The table turned as one to Shizuka, who was standing directly behind her brother.

Otogi held up one of the pumpkin colored fliers. "Will you help put these up around the school this afternoon?"

Shizuka nodded and grabbed the flier out of Otogi's hand. "Sure thing! Where will we meet?"

"In the math wing at three o'clock sharp."

"Okay, see you then!" Shizuka turned to leave, then spun around and added, "Katsuysa, I want to talk to you later, okay?"

"Uh, sure Shizu…" Jou's eyebrow's raised in question.

"Thanks ani! See you guys this afternoon!" Shizuka spun around and skipped out of the cafeteria. (ani- brother)

Jou and the others blinked. "She's oddly cheerful…"

Honda shrugged as he dug into his tuna salad. "Ah, Kaiba probably just promised to lay her or something."

Jou whipped around and glared at his friend. 'What was that?" he snarled.

Honda laughed nervously. "Nothing Jou! I swear, I didn't say anything!" Honda's eyes darted around quickly when he realized Jou wasn't buying it. "Bakura said it!" he exclaimed desperately, earning a glower from the white haired male.

Jou snorted. "Likely story. And just for the record, I _did_ hear what you said Honda and I _will_ get you for it."

Honda nodded and hid his face in his bowl. "Thanks for the warning buddy," he mumbled.

There was quiet around the table once more, when Anzu piped up suddenly. "Oh, I forgot to mention until now! I heard from Mai in America!"

Yuugi smiled up at Anzu. "Oh, how is Mai?"

"How long has it been since she left?" Jou wondered out loud.

"I believe she left during the summer, so about three, four months?" Bakura replied.

Anzu beamed as she said, "Guess what? She's coming back to Japan next week, just in time for Halloween!"

Otogi smiled as well. "That's great! That means she can come to my party as well!"

"It'll be great to see Mai again," Honda said, leaning back in his chair (and forgetting that there was nothing but air to support him, resulting in Honda falling to the ground with a loud _Thud!_ Ouchies…). "Don't you think so Jou?" Honda asked, turning to the blonde after straightening himself out.

Jou nodded. "Yeah! It'll be great to catch up with Mai when she gets back."

Yuugi looked at Jounouchi with concern. "You don't sound excited about Mai coming back."

"Yeah, I thought you'd be thrilled!" Anzu added.

"You mean you and Mai _aren't_ a couple?" Bakura inquired.

Jou blushed at Bakura's question. "No, just friends."

"Oh."

Jou scowled at everyone at the table. "I know what you're all thinking! You're thinking, 'how can anyone as close to Mai as Jou is _just_ be friends?' Well it's very possible!"

Honda laughed and reaching over the table, clapped Jou on the arm. "Okay pal, you keep telling yourself that!"

Otogi and Jou both turned to the brunette at the same time. "What's that supposed to mean!"

Honda shook his head. "Never mind…"

"Anyway, Mai arrives on Saturday, and I told her we'd meet her plane, so I expect to see you all at the airport, understood?" Anzu continued.

"What time?" Yuugi inquired.

Anzu laughed. "Oh yes, of course! Eight thirty-"

"Well that's not too bad!" Honda quipped.

"- in the morning."

Immediately Otogi, Honda and Jou voiced their discontent.

"That _early_? Are you _kidding_?"

"You actually expect me to be_ awake_ at that time? And on a _Saturday_?"

"Who's in charge of flight times? They must be insane!"

Anzu shrugged apologetically. "Hey guys, I didn't chose the flight time. But I still expect to see you all there. Even if I have to drag you out of bed."

Honda faked a grimace as he pretended to recall something. "I just remembered! Friday's the night before, so I don't think Ryuuji will be _able_ to climb out of bed whether he wants to or not. So I don't see any reason to abandon him…"

Anzu crossed her arms and shot Honda a you've-got-to-be-joking look. "I don't even _want_ to know what you two have planned. Just make sure the _both_ of you will be able to get to the airport by eight thirty, okay?"

Honda mock bowed across the table to the sole female. "Yes okasan! I understand you perfectly!"

Anzu just rolled her eyes and packed up her lunch. "The bell's about to-"

_BRRRRIIIING!_

"-ring," Anzu warned, then dashed from the table, Yuugi at her heels.

"See you guys at three!" Otogi called after them. "Don't forget!"

_TBC…_

And so ends Chapter Two of Picking Up Rose Petals. We haven't even gotten to the flowers yet! This is the longest one-shot I've ever written…oh my, that's why it's multi-chaptered! Anyways, review, yada yada you know the drill!


	3. Chapter 3

Rowan and Sakura, once again, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other anime for that matter. We are ownership-less. Hey! Come back here with our ship! Yes you, that creep in the back with the shady glasses and shifty demeanor! We know you have it and we want it back!

Ahem. Yes. Well…you get the idea.

Warnings: Uh…some smut…well, more lime-ish smut, but still…maybe some cursing…seeing how this was written before the fic itself…anyways…on with the story, right? One last thing- somewhere along the storyline it is to be inferred that Jou has the hots for Seto. Since it's not ever really mentioned flat out, just a heads up.

Pairing: SetoJou…heh !

_Picking Up Rose Petals _

"Seto! Seto, wait up!" Shizuka yelled, running down the hall after the CEO.

Seto turned when he recognized the voice calling his name, and turned to see the girl dashing down the hall in a blur of bright pink. He waited a moment for Shizuka to catch up to him, and, out of breath, she hung on his arm a moment later, panting heavily.

"Where's the fire, I wonder?" Seto said with a smile.

Shizuka half-heartedly laughed, then straightened herself out. "Ha ha, very funny. Actually, I wanted to catch you before you took off for work."

"What's so urgent you had to run around the school looking for me, hmm?" Seto asked, curious, as they proceeded down the hall at a leisurely pace.

"This!" Shizuka announced grandly, waving a bright orange paper in the brunette's face.

Seto peered at the sheet. "What is it?" he asked.

"Otogi's holding a Halloween party Saturday evening; the whole school's invited!" Shizuka exclaimed.

Seto raised an eyebrow in question. "And?"

Shizuka's bright face darkened a little. "Don't you want to go?" she asked, puzzled.

Seto snorted. "Not particularly."

"C'mon Seto, you never go to parties. Just this once, please? Will you do it for me?" Shizuka begged.

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll send Mokuba this flier," Shizuka grinned craftily, "and make him beg you to go instead!"

Seto sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll go. But you're coming with me."

"Naturally!" Shizuka said, bouncing up and hugging the upperclassman in her excitement. "Here's all the information," she added, handing Seto the paper. "Pick me up at seven thirty, okay?"

"Sure," Seto replied, relinquishing the girl of the flier and glanced over it with mild interest.

"Okay Seto! See you later!" Shizuka skipped merrily down the hall, waving cheerfully good-bye. Seto watched the happy sophomore leave, then left for work.

* * *

Otogi surveyed his group of willing helpers. "Okay, I propose we split up into groups so we can cover a larger area of the school in the shortest amount of time. So Anzu, why don't you and Bakura go down to the cafeteria and the gyms, okay? Here's some fliers and scotch tape; I think there's enough."

The brunette accepted the fliers, carrying them with both arms stretched out in front of her, Bakura following slightly behind her and carrying the tape.

"Honda, you, and Shizuka can cover the math and science wings, alright?"

Honda and Shizuka headed off with their supplies, talking and laughing as they walked.

The raven haired inventor turned to Yuugi and Jou with a smile. "We've got outside to take care of- all the trees, picnic tables- anything that we can tape these suckers to." Otogi bent and picked up the rest of the fliers, Yuugi grabbing their roll of tape.

"Tomorrow I'm going to need you guys to help me pass these out. Word'll get around really fast that way."

Yuugi and Jou followed Otogi outside. "Otogi, why are you doing all of this for your party? Wouldn't just inviting a handful of friends be easier?"

Otogi shrugged- a dangerous thing with all those fliers in his care- and replied, "But what's the fun in that? This way, we can meet more people! Plus, it adds to the mystery."

"What mystery?" Jou asked.

"Well, it's a masquerade," Otogi explained as he set the pile of papers on one of the picnic tables usually used in the spring. "Everyone will be required to wear a mask, to hide their identity until midnight, at which point everyone will reveal themselves."

"Wow, that sounds awesome!" Yuugi exclaimed, excited, Jou voicing the same sentiments.

Otogi winked at the two of them. "It gets more interesting. I'm going to have everyone who comes sign in, so that at a quarter to twelve, people can guess who came as what, based on everyone at the masquerade. The person who gets the most right will get a…surprise."

"What is that surprise?" Jou asked, eager to know.

Otogi laughed as he handed the blonde a flier to tape up somewhere. "Now if I told you, would it be a surprise?"

"Well, I guess not…" but Jou's mind was no longer thinking about the prize, the wheels in his head turning over the question of what he would disguise himself as at the party.

* * *

Shizuka was unable to catch her brother until Friday afternoon, desperate to talk to him before the weekend began. "Katsuya, I'll walk you home today!" Shizuka said, running up to her brother as he closed his locker shut for the day.

"Sure, Shizu," Jou agreed with a smile. Home for Jou was on the outskirts of town, by the docks. Most days it was Yuugi, Anzu, and Honda that walked Jou home, but today they were all on dates, so Jou was alone. And luckily for Shizuka, it was about a twenty minute walk from the school, which gave her plenty of time to beat around the bush.

"So, Katsuya…Seto and I have decided on a cooling period in our relationship," Shizuka said abruptly, five minutes after they had put their school behind them.

Jou was startled by her statement. "What? Why?"

Shizuka's gaze averted to the ground. "Seto told me about…the other night."

"You mean…"

"Yes."

"Oh." Jou looked down at the ground as well, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Ani, how long have you felt like that? How long have you had feelings for Seto?" Shizuka questioned quietly.

Jou sighed heavily. "A year," he whispered.

"That long? Why didn't you say anything?"

Jou shrugged. "I didn't want you guys to hate me."

Shizuka stopped walking and laid a gentle hand on Jou's arm. "'Tsuya, I could never hate you." (1)

"But the others…I don't know what Yuugi would say…" Jou said helplessly.

Shizuka smiled pitifully at her brother. "You mean you haven't even told Yuugi?"

Jou shook his head. "The only person I told was Seto…and, well, you know too now, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess…" Shizuka was stunned silent, surprised that not even Jou's best friend knew. "Anyway, the reason Seto and I have put our relationship on hold at present is because he told me that he felt something…felt something when he kissed you."

Jou paled. "He told you about _that_ as well?"

Shizuka nodded, an amused smile gracing her face. "Yeah. Seto told me about that, how you asked him for a kiss and how he kissed you twice."

Jou blushed, eyes turned abashedly away from his sister. "Are you mad at me?" he asked quietly.

Shizuka shook her head. "No, I'm fine with it. You acted with your heart; how can that be wrong?"

"But Shizuka, it was because of me that Seto was unfaithful to you!" Jou exclaimed, his guilt convincing him that he should take the blame.

Shizuka laughed lightly. "I'd call it more like an experiment. And Tsuya, I suggested that Seto and I stop seeing each other until he can sort out his feelings for you…whatever they are."

"Oh."

Shizuka linked her right arm under Jou's left, pulling her brother closer to her. She smiled and said softly, "I told Seto about Otogi's party. He's picking me up at seven-thirty so we can both go." Shizuka then unlinked her arm and winked at her brother with a broad smile.

* * *

"Wow, thank you for the welcoming committee Japan!" were Mai's first words as she stepped off the plane and into the many embraces of her friends.

"Our pleasure Mai," Anzu said as she hugged the blonde to her.

After enduring a hug from the seven people assembled to greet her, Mai stepped back and surveyed them all at arm's length. "Wow, it's so great to see you guys again! It's been what, four months?"

"About that," Shizuka piped up. "So Mai, tell us about America!" the younger said excitedly as she and Anzu latched onto her.

"I have to get my bags first…" Mai said, but was stopped mid sentence by Jounouchi.

"Honda and I will grab them," the blonde volunteered, him and his friend then turning and striding down to baggage claim while the others steered Mai towards the parking lot.

Twenty minutes later the gang were all driving back to Domino downtown and Anzu's place in particular, where Mai would be staying. Otogi was turning his charms to the blonde, much to the jealous eyes of Honda. "Mai, you came home just in time for my Halloween masquerade!"

"A masquerade, huh?" Mai's violet eyes sparkled with mirth. "And what is everyone going as?" She looked around expectantly.

"Actually, Mai, nobody's supposed to tell what they're going as. It'll ruin the surprise," Otogi informed her.

Mai shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself. Guess that means Anzu and I'll have to go blindfolded, since we're not allowed to see each other, huh? Gonna be pretty hard to drive like that, but I'm sure we'll manage somehow," the blonde remarked sarcastically.

Otogi laughed, bending in his seat, doubled over with laughter, and laying his hand on Mai's arm familiarly. "Good one. No, it's fine if you two see each other's costumes before you show up. Honda's coming over early so he and I can set up the decorations and such, so he's just changing over there. But it'll be interesting to see if the rest of us can pick each other out of the crowd, you know?"

Mai nodded. "Sounds cool, Ryuuji."

It was obvious to the entire entourage packed in the van the flirting passing between Mai and Otogi. Honda, seated beside his boyfriend, who was squashed between the brunette and the blonde female, was frowning decidedly at the pair. The only thing stopping Honda from turning into a complete green-eyed monster was Otogi's hand rubbing his lover's inner thigh. The rest of the van decided to ignore the three.

Yuugi turned to Jou. "I just remembered Jou! I meant to ask you earlier, but do you want to come over later today so you can change into your costume? That way we can drive over together."

Jounouchi nodded his acceptance of Yuugi's invitation. Though nobody said it, the blonde knew Yuugi's real reason to have him come over was because of his domestic complications. And Jou was grateful for Yuugi's invitation, because Jou knew for a fact that if he tried to get out of his house in the costume he had planned, his father would probably kill him first. If he was sober enough to recognize his son in the first place.

Jou smirked to himself as he thought of his Halloween costume. With a little contribution from Mai's wardrobe, he knew he was going to kick ass that evening.

_TBC…_

1- It was getting tiresome for Shizuka to call Jou "Katsuya" all the time and I figured, because sometimes he calls her 'Shizu" that she might, on occasion, call him "Tsuya"- "Katsu" didn't sound right. Though it would have been amusing to have her call him "Kat"…

Anyway, that chapter was…surprisingly short, but I wanted to get the masquerade all in one chapter, so…expect a nice long chapter next! Also, the next chapter will feature Clay Aiken's "When You Say You Love Me"…anyone who wants to know what Jounouchi is dressing up as will find a big clue in the lyrics. Otherwise, until next week...review!


	4. Chapter 4

Rowan and Sakura, once again, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other anime for that matter. We are ownership-less. Hey! Come back here with our ship! Yes you, that creep in the back with the shady glasses and shifty demeanor! We know you have it and we want it back!

Ahem. Yes. Well…you get the idea.

Warnings: Uh…some smut…well, more lime-ish smut, but still…maybe some cursing…seeing how this was written before the fic itself…anyways…on with the story, right? One last thing- somewhere along the storyline it is to be inferred that Jou has the hots for Seto. Since it's not ever really mentioned flat out, just a heads up.

Pairing: SetoJou…heh !

_Picking Up Rose Petals _

"Jou, I'm ready whenever you are!" Yuugi called through the bathroom door, where Jou was changing. Yuugi then turned and admired himself in the mirror. At first, he had considered going as the Dark Magician, but quickly abandoned that idea when Otogi had described the challenge later that evening. He had then juggled several ideas- clown, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Exodia, mad scientist- but was very satisfied with the costume he finally settled upon.

With the assistance of Isis and the museum tablet, as well as Yami's half formed memories, Yuugi was able to construct a very good duplication of a Pharaoh's outfit. With the gold headdress Yami wore in his hair three thousand years earlier and a gold chest plate borrowed from Isis's collection, Yuugi added yards of bright crimson silk. His white kilt, the only manner of true clothing, was fashioned from one of Anzu's old skirts and a bright gold belt Yuugi had found awhile ago while clothes shopping. For shoes, Yuugi wore a pair of Shizuka's old sandals. Yuugi smiled at his costume, not putting his gold hawk mask on until he and Jounouchi entered the car and were on their way to the party.

Speaking of the blonde… "Jou, are you ready yet?" Yuugi called once more, getting slightly impatient. It was only seven fifteen, but Yuugi wanted to get there early, so that he would have the advantage of seeing the other guests come. Yuugi liked Otogi's challenge, and he intended to win.

"I'm ready Yuuge," Jou replied. The bathroom door opened at that moment, and out walked Jounouchi. Yuugi turned away from the mirror to look at his friend's costume and felt his jaw go straight through the floor.

"J-Jou…wow…where'd you get that outfit?" Yuugi exclaimed.

Jou was dressed in a barmaid's dress, with suspenders over his chest- which had somehow expanded- connecting the colorful skirt that didn't even try to cover Jou's thighs. The white frilly shirt Jou wore on top barely covered the blonde's stomach, and just hid the secret of his fake bosom. The frilly skirt rode up on Jou, and the blonde, aware of its near indecency, attempted to pull it down as his friend scrutinized his costume. "Mai lent it to me," he explained, his foot impishly lifting and hiding behind his left leg, like a shy schoolgirl on her first date. His feet were clad in a pair of black platform lace-ups, with short white anklets on as well, so that they didn't cover any of Jou's very exposed legs.

"Jou," Yuugi began, his eyes focused on those long limbs, "did you shave?"

Jou's hand shot up to his face, then he realized what Yuugi meant and laughed nervously. "Heh, yeah, I did. Didn't want to ruin the image with hairy legs."

Yuugi nodded absently as he examined Jou's face, the part that wasn't hidden by his mask. The mask was the kind that covered the eyes like a raccoon's face, making Jou look like a very red and green raccoon. Jou's eyes were a startling light blue, and Yuugi realized that Jou was wearing contacts. Jounouchi's lips were covered with a layer of light pink lip gloss that made Jou's mouth shimmer every time he spoke. Jou's blonde hair also sparkled wildly, and his hair was tousled beyond recognition. All in all, if Jou wasn't Yuugi's best friend and if he weren't absolutely sure that this _was_ his friend standing before him, Yuugi would not have recognized him. "You look good, Jou," Yuugi finally remarked, causing Jou to smile.

"You think so? Can you tell it's me behind my mask?" Jou asked anxiously as he and Yuugi descended the stairs.

Yuugi smiled at his friend. "Nope! No one will know it's you, not even Shizuka!"

Jou sighed with what sounded like relief to his smaller friend. "Good," he breathed to himself.

Yuugi and Jou walked outside and climbed into Yuugi's car, Yuugi in the driver's seat. Before he started the car, Yuugi pulled his Horus mask on. "Well Jou, how do I look?" he asked.

Jou smiled. "Like a Pharaoh," he replied.

Yuugi nodded. "Good." He then started the car and began driving down the road to Otogi's house.

"Say, Jou?"

"Yeah Yuuge?" Jou turned to look at Yuugi after sitting in a few minutes of silence.

Yuugi kept his eyes on the road as he tried to find the right way to phrase his question. "I was wondering…well, I mean, why did you, y'know, choose that costume? Did Mai say she'd like it?"

Jou looked out the window wistfully. "I'm not doing this for Mai."

"Oh? Then who are you doing it for?" Yuugi countered, curious.

Jou didn't answer right away and Yuugi began to wonder whether he heard him or not. But finally the blonde whispered out, "Sometimes you have to take chances to get what you want. Even if it means looking like a fool in the process."

"Jou…"

"Yes?"

"You don't look like a fool."

"Thanks Yuuge."

"And Jou?" They had stopped at a red light, so Yuugi turned to look his friend in the eye. "Good luck with whoever he is."

"Thank you," Jou said quietly, after they had passed the traffic light and Yuugi was concentrating on driving once more.

"See Seto, this isn't too bad, now is it?"

Seto turned to the Princess beside him and shrugged. "I guess it's okay," he replied.

Shizuka, dressed up as the Princess of Tsurugi, pulled on Seto's sleeve. "Let's go inside now Seto!" she demanded.

The two had been standing in the threshold of Otogi's ballroom for the last five minutes, taking in the multitude of classmates donning their variety of costumes. Seto was costumed as the spellcaster Maha Vailo, swathed in blue silk. His headdress, which also served for his mask, was quite heavy, not that Seto was going to complain. After all, that's what he got for running out to the store at the last minute to get a costume- he got the undesirable one. But despite the weight of the Maha Vailo's 'hair', Seto had to admit he looked pretty good, though he had to watch behind him to make sure his 'wings' didn't poke someone's eye out.

Seto snorted. "Shizuka, I'm here; that's all I promised."

Shizuka rolled her eyes and stomped her pink booted foot in irritation. "Now what good is you coming if you don't go inside?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't find anything wrong with that."

"Please come inside Seto! For me?" Shizuka begged.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if the mutt has decided to show his true nature," Seto remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shizuka finally managed to drag Seto inside the room, then quickly vanished, leaving the CEO to his own devices. After frantically searching for the pink warrior for fifteen minutes, Seto finally came to the conclusion that he had been abandoned. Once Seto realized what Shizuka had done, he disappeared into the farthest corner in the room.

Surveying the ballroom, Seto had to admit that Otogi had done an excellent job decorating. Hanging from the chandeliers were streamers of black and orange, criss-crossing the ceiling like a giant spider web. The lights in the room were dimmed, giving off a sensual feeling, enhanced by the candelabras in each window, lighted with real candles. There was an eerie mist covering the dance floor, so it looked as if those who were dancing were dancing on clouds. In each corner of the room were gigantic carved pumpkins, each donning ghostly expressions and lighted with candles as well. Around the edges of the room were scattered random couches, all black and orange cushions to keep with the theme. It was in one of these couches that Seto sank into, hoping to make himself invisible.

To entertain himself, Seto began searching through the crowd to see if he could identify Yuugi and his annoying group of followers.

Seto first caught sight of Yuugi's notable hair, then realized that the smaller teen was dressed as a Pharaoh. "How fitting," Seto thought to himself. The Pharaoh was dancing with a girl dressed as the Dark Magician Girl, and Seto realized that it was Anzu. "Found two," Seto tallied in his head. "I wonder what Jou is tonight?"

Meanwhile, seated in a couch across the room, the scantly clad barmaid fidgeted nervously. 'Shizuka said he'd _be_ here! Why can't I find him then?'

A pale hand reached over and disentangled Jou's hands, gripping one tightly. Looking up, Jou came face to face with the Lady of Faith. But he knew immediately that it was Bakura, having seen him in the costume a long time before.

"Hi Bakura," Jou greeted quietly.

Bakura smiled. "Why so nervous, Jounouchi?"

Jou gasped. "You…how…how'd you know it was me?"

Bakura laughed gently at the blonde's surprise. "Yuugi told me. So, have you found the guy you're trying to impress yet?"

"I'm not trying to impress anyone."

"Pardon me. Have you found the guy you want to jump in bed with, then?"

Jou blanched at Bakura's words. "That's a crude way of putting it!" he exclaimed, indignant.

Bakura shrugged. "But true, yes? So, who is this mystery man anyway? Maybe I can help you find him."

Jou's gaze shifted to his lap. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

"I promise on my sister's grave I won't."

Jou lifted his head and looked into Bakura's brown eyes. Sensing the sincerity in them, Jou sighed and said, "I'm looking for Seto Kaiba."

"Orange couch across from us in the Maha Vailo costume."

Jou looked over to where the white haired teen said Seto was and gasped. Indeed, that had to be Seto! But why was he staring at him so?

The blonde haired barmaid was the most beautiful creature Seto had ever laid eyes upon. Sitting across the room from him, Seto admired her blushing cheeks, soft, supple lips, and her after-sex tousled hair. (Seto must have great vision…how the hell does he see all that from across the room? Only Kaiba knows…)

Seto stood up from his couch and crossed the dance floor until he was towering above her. Now that he got a good look at her, Seto realized that the girl was nearly as tall as himself. He could see now the glitter that decorated her beautiful blonde tresses and jealously noted her hands being clutched by the white haired women next to her, their fingers intertwined intimately.

The other woman leaned in and whispered something in the blonde's ear, causing her to giggle merrily. The ringing laughter emitted from her mouth enchanted Seto even further than before. Then, smiling, she tickled the other female's ear with her own secret words. They both leaned back and laughed again.

Seto gulped. He wasn't supposed to be affected like this. Damn the woman to Hell, for she had to be an angel!

Suddenly, the woman looked up into Seto's eyes. Seto froze. 'Does she know I've been watching her?' he thought in a panic.

The woman smiled. "Hello handsome. Care to have a seat?" Seto was surprised by her voice; it was deeper than he imagined it, but the sound sent shivers down his spine.

"Ah…yes, I would like that, please."

The woman smirked openly and slowly got to her feet. Seto eyed with curiosity her incredibly short skirt that swayed with every movement she made, leaving nearly nothing to Seto's imagination. Now that she was standing next to him, Seto realized that he could look straight into her brilliant sky blue eyes. She smiled, showing a row of beautifully white straight teeth, worth more to Seto than his company at that moment.

"Go ahead and sit then," she said in her deep, sensuous voice, gesturing to the formerly occupied spot.

"I think I'll be going now," the other woman said suddenly, standing up from her seat. "I'll see you around later, okay?" the white haired woman said, placing a delicate hand on her friend's arm.

The other girl smiled. "Thank you Bakura. Where will you be?"

"I think I'll be paying our gracious host a visit. Have fun." Bakura slunk away, leaving Seto stunned. If that 'woman' had been a guy- not to mention one of Yuugi's friends- what were the chances that this woman wasn't also a guy? But Seto just shook his head at that thought. The woman before him couldn't be any less feminine if she tried.

"Are you going to sit or not?" Seto sensed a hint of impatience in her tone. Seto immediately took a seat in the corner of the couch. The woman smiled. "May I sit as well?" She leaned down so her face was mere inches from Seto's own masked one. Seto felt his face heat up as he nodded. "Of course," he said apologetically, moving so that there was enough room for her to sit without being poked by one of his 'wings.'

The woman laughed. "I meant on your lap," she whispered in a sultry tone, moving her masked face closer to Seto's flushed one. Then in one swift motion, the woman was seated on Seto's lap, her legs stretched across the orange cushion.

Seto gazed at the woman in surprise, and his gaze wandered down to his lap, where he found himself staring at the edge of her skirt.

Chuckling softly when she saw where Seto's eyes had wandered, one tanned hand dropped to her thigh, pulling the skirt up in a teasing fashion. She smiled as Seto blushed. Was she trying to give him a message or what? Seto wondered, embarrassed but very turned on.

"I'm Katsuya," the girl said with a laugh in her voice, "and I assume that's you pressing into me?"

Seto blushed when her eyes dropped to below Seto's waist. "K-Katsuya was it? I'm S-Seto," the brunette stuttered. Whether intentionally or not, Katsuya had dropped her hand in between Seto's legs, quite close to the growing bulge in his costume in fact.

"Hello Seto. Pleasure to meet you." Katsuya slid her other hand off her leg and gracefully into Seto's hand, shaking it firmly. Seto was surprised to feel a calloused palm as opposed to the soft, unused one he had expected.

Katsuya pulled her hand away from Seto. "Seto…I like that name," she remarked.

Seto swallowed as he felt Katsuya's hand travel up his legs and brush against the pressing need in his pants. Seto bit his lip to stifle a moan as Katsuya undid the zipper slowly, then dipped her hand into his pants. "You like that Seto?" Katsuya whispered as she caressed him through his boxers.

"Aahh…" Seto moaned softly. "Please…Katsuya…we just met…I barely know you and…and you've already got your hand in my pants!"

Katsuya grinned nefariously. "Oh, but Seto, you know me," she said, her hand gently grabbing Seto, causing him to buck into her hand.

"I don't remember you from school, and I'm sure I'd remember a pretty girl like you," Seto replied, fighting the feelings jolting up his spine.

Katsuya's wicked smile widened. "I'm not quite the 'girl' you think I am." The blonde grabbed Seto's hand and guided it up her leg and under her skirt.

Seto's mind was racing. What was she doing? And what did Katsuya mean she wasn't the girl he thought she was? Unless…

Seto received his answer a moment later when his hand reached its destination where Katsuya's long luscious legs met. Seto gasped at the feeling of Katsuya's hand guiding him in fondling him. "You…you're a guy!" Seto whispered. Katsuya let go of Seto's hand then, allowing him free access to himself. Seto found his hand going to Katsuya's hardening manhood. As Seto began to knead Katsuya into full erection, it hit Seto. He didn't know why he didn't realize it before- Katsuya was the mutt- Katsuya Jounouchi!

And at that moment, the mutt was giving Seto one hell of a hand job; Jou was stroking Seto hard and fast and dedicatedly, so that Seto couldn't help but moan out load. His head fell back against the back of the couch, relishing in the feel of Jou's hand on his erection. But…this was wrong, completely wrong!

Jou leaned into Seto's body, pressing his chest into the brunette's, whispering sultry words against Seto's lips. "Kiss me, Seto," he pleaded.

Seto's hot mouth viciously attacked Jou's waiting lips, bruising them in the intensity of the brunette's passion. Jou returned the kiss with equal fervor, his lips parting willing, allowing Seto access to his mouth. Seto's tongue savagely took over Jounouchi's mouth, coaxing his puppy to play with him. Their tongues began a brutal battle, meeting in the middle as each teen fought for dominance.

Jou broke the kiss at last and laid his forehead on Seto's shoulder. His forgotten member twitched eagerly in Seto's lax grip, reminding the brunette of the other's need. Seto gave Jou's cock a squeeze, eliciting a groan of pleasure from the blonde melting in his lap. "Yes, Seto…Gods, that's good," Jou moaned into Seto's ear. "Gods yes…more, love, more!"

"Wait, wait!" Seto said suddenly, removing his hand from under Jou's skirt and pulling Jou's hand from inside his pants. "We can't- not here- not now!" he gasped.

Jou pouted but complied, zipping Seto's pants up and moving off his lap. "But Seto, why? Why isn't here good?"

Seto leaned towards Jou's masked face, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Too many people around."

Jou smiled at Seto, eyes shining mischievously. "Then maybe later we can find someplace a little more…private?" he asked, hopeful. Seto simply nodded, slightly worried by the look in Jounouchi's eyes.

The blonde smiled. "In the meantime, shall we dance?" he asked, standing up and offering the brunette a slender hand.

Seto gazed up at the blonde, at the light blue eyes sparkling from behind the brightly colored mask. But those weren't Jou's eyes! Jou had such soft, warm, luscious, honey-colored eyes. How could Seto trust these eyes, when they weren't Jou's own? Was Jou sincere? He had seemed truthful enough in the motel a week earlier, but this Jou…this was a lust driven Jou, who wanted Seto in every way. Was there any love behind Jou's actions? Could Seto take a chance on that- on those enchanting, false, eyes?

Seto sighed and stood up from the couch, without Jou's assistance. "Jou…"

The blonde gasped; perhaps he hadn't realized that the brunette knew it was him? Seto smiled softly at Jounouchi's surprise, and gently took the blonde's hand in his own. "What do you want from me? What is it you are after?" he whispered.

Jou's gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment. "I…I just want your love, Seto."

"Then why this?" Seto questioned, gesturing to Jou's costume. "What is this about?"

Jou sighed. "I want…I wanted to show you my love…" he muttered.

"You want to seduce me, is that it?" Seto said. Jou nodded.

Seto sighed; what could he say to that? He lifted Jou's chin with his free hand, smiling into those false blue eyes. "Let's dance, Katsuya." The brunette pulled the barmaid onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her slim waist, pulling her close to his body. The barmaid rested her head on his shoulder and wound her arms around his neck. Their bodies swayed cheek to cheek, heart to heart, soul to soul.

Jou was floating among the clouds, to be in Seto's arms. He sighed contently as they made their slow way across the floor. The couple passed a Pharaoh and a Dark Magician Girl as into each other as they were. Seto's 'wings' created a wide cushion of space around the pair.

They were in their own world together, but Seto wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Bakura, meanwhile, had waltzed over to Otogi in the front of the room. The raven haired host was engaged in a conversation with Mai- they were shamelessly flirting with each other. Honda was standing beside the two, his eyes flashing green with jealousy. Bakura smirked, imitating his yami, whether he was aware of it or not. Sliding up beside the brunette, Bakura hooked their arms together. "Honda, I was wondering if you would dance with me?"

Honda looked over, askance, at the white haired youth latched to his arm. "Bakura? I-" Honda glanced over to his boyfriend, then back to the other boy.

"Oh come on Honda! Just one dance- just for fun!" Bakura goaded.

Honda glanced over at Otogi, hoping he would protest against the two dancing, but his lover wasn't even aware that Bakura was hitting on Honda, being completely wrapped up in Mai. Bakura laughed softly. "C'mon, Otogi won't even notice you're gone," he assured. When Honda still hesitated, Bakura whispered, "Or maybe he will notice. Why not make him a little jealous, hm? And have fun while you're at it?"

That finally convinced Honda and, with a sly smirk on his face, he led Bakura on the floor, where the shorter male immediately took control. Bakura wrapped his arms around Honda's waist and pulled the brunette close to his body. Honda in return, placed his arms around the white haired teen's neck and rested his chin on the other's head. Their bodies swayed slowly in time to the music.

"Do you think he's noticed yet?" Honda whispered to his fellow conspirator.

"Not yet. Keep dancing," Bakura replied.

_TBC…_

It was easier for me to split this chapter in half. Also, the wait would have been a lot longer- the second half of the masquerade isn't done yet. Also, due to ban on songfics, I deleted the Clay Aiken song from this chapter, but if you reviewed and left your e-mail or have it in your bio, I e-mailed you a link to my LJ, which has this chapter with the song lyrics, so check that out if you want to. I accept anonymous comments and will be more than willing to respond to them as well.

Also, the next chapter would contain a short lemon scene except…you guessed it, it'll be on my LJ, along with the second half of the masquerade and the rest of Clay's song. So if you want me to e-mail you the link or if I already have- or heck, you just like the story, please review! Reviews motivation quicker updates!


	5. Chapter 5

Rowan and Sakura, once again, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other anime for that matter. We are ownership-less. Hey! Come back here with our ship! Yes you, that creep in the back with the shady glasses and shifty demeanor! We know you have it and we want it back!

Ahem. Yes. Well…you get the idea.

Warnings: Uh…some smut…well, more lime-ish smut, but still…maybe some cursing…seeing how this was written before the fic itself…anyways…on with the story, right? One last thing- somewhere along the storyline it is to be inferred that Jou has the hots for Seto. Since it's not ever really mentioned flat out, just a heads up.

Pairing: SetoJou…heh !

_Picking Up Rose Petals _

When the dance ended and Seto began to pull away from Jou's embrace, the blonde wrapped his arms tight around the brunette's shoulders. "Let's keep dancing. Please?"

Seto looked down at Jou and shook his head. "I promised someone a dance, and I want to fulfill that commitment now before I forget. I'll be back Katsuya; I promise."

Jou reluctantly let his arms fall from around Seto's shoulders, walking back dejectedly towards the couch. Seto shrugged and turned, looking for Shizuka. She was dancing with what looked to be a pathetic imitation of the Dark Magician, and Seto graciously cut in.

Shizuka smiled at Seto as they waltzed around the room. "Well?"

"Well what?" Seto replied.

"Well, did you find Jou yet?"

Seto laughed softly. "Yes, I have seen your brother."

Shizuka's eyes lit up. "Oh, where is he?"

Seto cleared his throat and pointed in the direction of the pretty little barmaid on the big orange couch. Shizuka's eyes followed where Seto indicated and she shot a puzzled look at him. "There's nobody there," she stated.

Seto's eyes immediately went to the couch, but as Shizuka said, he was not there. His blue eyes searched frantically through the crowds of people, until he spotted a tall barmaid dancing with a rather short Pharaoh.

The barmaid, laughing with her dance partner, suddenly looked in Seto's direction, and their eyes met. She smiled softly at him, her eyes twinkling merrily. Seto blushed and bowed his head. He could even hear Jou's quiet laughter in his head.

"Seto?" Shizuka inquired. "Seto, what is it?"

Seto shook himself out of his reverie and glanced at the girl. "Tell me Shizuka, does Jounouchi make a habit of cross-dressing?"

Shizuka blinked. "What? No, never! Why?"

Seto smiled. "Ah, so tonight would be the exception?"

Shizuka shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Well, Jou would be the one in the barmaid outfit dancing with Yuugi," Seto replied, a faint laugh lacing his voice.

"What!" Shizuka exclaimed, her eyes whipping around to the odd pair. Seto, in turn, glanced over at the two as well. Jou was still watching him and Seto felt his face burning hotly. Did his eyes have to be so intense, so completely saying "You are mine"?

Shizuka, once she saw her brother's outrageous costume, laughed merrily, and Seto was stunned to find their laughs so similar. It made sense; they were siblings. He had just never really noticed Jou's laughter before.

"Wow, I can't believe Jou is that desperate!" she exclaimed, turning to smile at Seto. "I wonder if he shaved his legs?" she added as an afterthought, glancing back to take a look at Jou's exposed thighs.

Seto blushed a deeper maroon as he remembered back to just moments before, when Jou had guided his hands up his skirt…the skin had been smooth, cool, and silky under his touch, Seto recalled. The memory of the sensation of Jou's skin beneath his fingers made them tingle with excitement and anticipation of touching that cool skin again.

Seto shook his head to dispel the tantalizing images of a naked Jou that entered his mind at that moment. Seto blushed even more, his heart racing at a dangerously fast rate. He wouldn't be surprised if his face rivaled Rudolph's nose by now. If Santa appeared beside him and asked for Seto to lead his sleigh, Seto wouldn't have been surprised, what with the other peculiarities he was experiencing that evening. First he actually showed up at the dance- quite a feat, Shizuka should be proud- then to see Jou but think he's a pretty barmaid girl, and then…to actually feel turned on by the prospect of seeing Jou again- it was almost too much to be real. If Seto had in any manner been a masochist- and not that no one debated that possibility, there were quite a few rumors about him- he would have asked Shizuka to pinch him, just to make sure. Since he did not, he just had to trust that this was real and that yes, Jou did turn him on. Still, being attracted to Jou…would it be enough? He didn't know him well enough to say he loved him…and yet, he knew him enough to know he hated him. So what was the difference? Surely, if he wanted to, he could love Jounouchi.

The question, then, was whether he did love Jounouchi after all.

And that question he could not answer, but for the beating of his heart when Jou pressed against him…Jou needed him to tell him he loved him, and saying the words would be easy enough; they were, after all, just words.

Glancing back over at Jou- three times during one song!- Seto saw the love in his eyes, and looked away, guilty.

Could he force himself to lie and see those beautiful eyes crumble?

---

Jou couldn't help but giggle in Yuugi's ear as Seto looked back at him for the third time that night. Yuugi grinned up at his friend.

"What was that?" he asked.

Jou blushed. "Oh, just…it's nothing."

Yuugi shook his head. "It's not nothing and I know it. C'mon, I'm curious to know. Who is he?"

Jou bit his lip, then whispered softly in his ear, "The Maha Vailo."

Yuugi glanced past Jou and over to the tall figure swathed in blue. "Oh, the one dancing with your sister?" he asked

"Uh, I suppose," Jou replied. "So, how many people recognized you?"

Yuugi smiled triumphantly. "Everyone I've spoken to, which would be nearly half the room," he said.

"That's a good thing?" Jou asked.

He nodded. "Of course it is Jou. Because every person I've spoken to I've been able to identify. They may know who I am, but that's the only one. I know this entire room." Yuugi then laughed darkly. "And I'm the only one who knows that you're the pretty barmaid everybody's been looking at for the better part of the night," he added with a sly wink.

"You don't know who the Maha Vailo is," Jou countered with a smirk.

"Process of elimination," Yuugi counteracted.

Jou snorted. "That would work, except there's one problem."

"And that would be?"

"I've spotted at least three Maha Vailos in here since the night began."

Yuugi laughed. "Yeah, probably the same one!" he remarked. "You know, the whole 'I only have eyes for you' thing?"

Jou laughed as well, but Yuugi's comment planted a seed of thought in his head that quickly took root.

Seto couldn't stop glancing over at him and Yuugi. Jou knew he could barely keep his own eyes- not to mention his hands- off Seto if he could help it. Maybe, just maybe, there was the chance that Seto harbored feelings for him? What Jou wouldn't give for Seto to love him back, and what Jou wouldn't do to hear him say the words.

There was little possibility of that happening though, because Jou recognized the fright in Seto's eyes- the same fright Honda had once, when he and Otogi tried to mess around with him. It was the look that said he couldn't be gay- the look that said he can't believe you are. However, Jou justified his actions with a simple assertion that once they spent the night together Seto would see. Once Jou held him in his arms, there would be no doubt in Jou's mind whether it was right- and he knew in his heart just how right it would feel to hold Seto to his heart.

When the song finally ended, it was all Jou could do to stop himself from dashing back to Seto; after all, hadn't he promised that they would dance for the rest of the evening? When he reached him, however, a pretty Princess of Tsurugi was on his arm, laughing merrily as Seto smiled softly down at her. As Jou slowly approached the pair, the girl looked up and ran towards him.

"Jou!" she giggled excitedly, grabbing his arm and hugging it tightly.

Jou started, then laughed when he realized who the audacious girl hanging on his arm was. "Hello Shizuka. I'm afraid I've come to steal your escort; he promised me this dance, you see."

Shizuka laughed and released her hold on his arm, reaching behind her back to grab Seto's hand. "I don't know, Tsuya, I'm rather attached to my lovely dance partner. I can understand why you wish to steal him, but I'm not quite sure I can let you do that."

Jou smirked. "I'm afraid I cannot stand for that, Shizuka my dear. I myself am rather infatuated with him; if it has to come to blows over him, I'm more than willing."

Seto watched the exchange with interest. If he didn't know any better, he would say a cat fight was in the near future, but the smiles and laughter in both their voices changed the scenario. It seemed almost as if they were testing each other. For him? Seto couldn't understand it. They were looking out for him.

"Infatuation?" Shizuka mock-scoffed. "Infatuation is nothing. I love him; now that is something. Therefore, my claim to him is much more than yours." To drive her point home, she prudently stuck her tongue out.

Jou rolled his eyes, but a chuckle of amusement still bubbled past his lips. "Ah, but I love him much more than you do. The extent of my love is immeasurable except in this- give me a thousand kisses, lend me a thousand hugs, share with me a thousand days, and I will not be satisfied. Show me a thousand sunsets, catch me a thousand shooting stars, grant me a thousand insatiable wishes, and all I could ask is for you to be at my side." Jou was facing Shizuka as he said this, but his ambient eyes were shining on Seto, full of fervor and passion, that Seto unconsciously pulled back from the force in their veiled depths.

Jou smiled, breaking the solemn spell his words had cast upon his audience of two. "Ne, Shizu, do you think I won or what?"

Shizuka smiled. "You're halfway there, I think. Well, you're closer than I am, so I relinquish him to you, for tonight. Maybe you'll get there. I hope you do." Shizuka winked at them both, then walked away, mumbling under her breath something about finding Bakura.

Jou and Seto watched her walk away, then cautiously looked at each other again. This was the first time the extent of Jounouchi's feelings had been revealed to Seto and while he was flattered he was worried as well. What would happen after tonight when he was no longer blinded by the frilly dress and the shimmering blue eyes? Jou wanted to have sex- no, he wanted to make love to him, but if Seto couldn't love Jou, how could he possibly make love to him? How does one get something out of nothing? That can't happen.

"Well, Jou," Seto said at last. "Looks like we're alone at last."

Jou nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

Seto looked down at his blue-swathed body, then up at Jou. "Do you want to dance or…is it midnight already?"

Jou frowned. "What happens at midnight?" he asked, puzzled.

Seto smiled softly. "I want to catch Cinderella before she loses her slipper." Jou was still confused, so Seto reached tentatively out towards Jou's hand, holding it firmly in his own. "Perhaps if Cinderella and both slippers came with me, I would be assured of her presence until morning?"

Jou gasped, then grinned. "Cinderella never heard such a straight-forward proposal." Then, he smirked. "She heartily accepts."

Seto took Jou's arm in his own, then quickly led them towards the door, ducking out right before the clock struck eleven-forty-five.

---

It was eleven-forty-five when Otogi finally realized that Honda was gone from his side. He graciously excused himself from the conversation with Mai and then began to scan the room. It was impossible to find the tall brunette, however, in his tantalizing trench coat that looked like it belonged more in Seto's closet than Honda's body, and yet Honda looked admittedly quite sexy in the jacket. Otogi would have liked to eat him up…if Mai hadn't distracted him and if only he could find his lover.

Suddenly, Otogi spotted his Honda grinding up against a Duel Monster-decked person with wild white hair. His face grew red with fury and his eyes glowed virulent green.

Bakura noticed Otogi first and quickly slipped out of Honda's embrace before their hotheaded host reached them. "See him," Bakura whispered in Honda's ear before he disappeared, leaving Honda by himself on the floor in the middle of dancing, sweaty bodies. Otogi came upon him like an oasis.

"Hiroto!" Otogi demanded as he stormed down upon his boyfriend. "How could you make me worry like that? I didn't know where you were; I'd thought I lost you! And who were you dancing with just a minute ago?"

Honda simply smiled and wrapped his arms around Otogi. "Oh, Ryuuji, you do care!" he exclaimed.

"Of course I care, you idiot. I love you," Otogi said into Honda's shoulder.

Honda simply smiled more. "I'm glad. I love you too, Ryuuji; I'm not going to lose you to some girl without a fight."

Ryuuji pulled back. "So that's why you left! Who _were_ you dancing with anyway?"

"The Lady of Faith."

"Who?"

"Bakura."

"Oh." Otogi frowned contemplatively. It was a slightly old argument between them, who Bakura would go for first of the two of them. Otogi always knew their friend would pick Honda first and he was only a little jealous. Not of Honda, of Bakura. Honda was too sexy to share.

Honda smiled and hugged Otogi enthusiastically again. "So…you mean that? You love me?"

Otogi scowled at his boyfriend. "Shut up and kiss me, you idiot."

Meanwhile, Bakura hadn't moved two feet away from the now happy pair when he ran into someone. "I'm terribly sorry!" he apologized quickly, turning around and looking into a pair of amber eyes.

"Oh, that's perfectly okay," the person- a girl, a pretty one, Bakura noted- said in a soft voice. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Then, I confess, I'm at fault as well. I was not paying attention either," Bakura insisted.

The girl smiled. "Maybe it wasn't so bad, not paying attention. That's usually when good things happen," she said with a small laugh.

Bakura laughed as well. "Are you with anyone?" he asked boldly. Not something the normal Bakura would do, but tonight he was not Bakura, so what did it matter? Besides, the girl was too pretty not to try and get a dance with her.

She looked behind her towards the main door, then turned back to Bakura. "Not anymore!" she said gleefully. "My escort just walked out with the barmaid, as planned, so I'm perfectly free. You?"

Bakura suddenly gasped. "Wait…Shizuka?"

The girl Shizuka hesitated, then frowned. "Bakura?"

Bakura nodded. "That would be me. So, Kaiba really just left with Jou?"

Shizuka nodded as well. "Oh yes. I have a feeling I'm going to be quite free for quite awhile. That is," she added as an afterthought, "that is, as long as Tsuya is good in bed."

Bakura gaped, then heartily began to giggle. Shizuka mirrored him and, leaning into Bakura's arm, giggled merrily in his ear. Such a musical laugh, Bakura noted happily.

"Well," he remarked after a moment, "I'll try my damnedest to see that that doesn't happen."

"What?" Shizuka asked.

"I'm going to make sure you're not free…at least for tonight." Bakura winked, causing Shizuka to blush. "Care to dance?"

Shizuka grinned. "Love to," she said, pulling Bakura closer. It was nice not to be alone, to be with Bakura.

---

In fact, Jou was probably thinking somewhere along the same lines as he and Seto ran swiftly out of Otogi's house and towards Seto's limousine. Not expecting to stay as long as he did, Seto had ordered his chauffer to wait for him. However, when he and Jounouchi ran to the side of the limo, the chauffer was asleep.

Seto cursed under his breath. "Damn!" he said, kicking the back tire in frustration when he tried to open the door and found it locked. "How are we going to get back home?"

Suddenly, Jounouchi had an idea and he ran to the front of the limousine, rapping lightly on the driver's window. The man woke up with a start, then stared outside at Jounouchi the bar maid.

"Hello!" Jou greeted as the driver rolled the window down. "I'm not sure if you were aware of this, but your boss and I really need to get into the limo so he can take me home with him and then fuck me raw until morning. We want to go for at least three times before the sun comes up and there are some things I want to try that will take time setting up. So if you don't mind opening the doors and driving extra uberly fast, that would be more than greatly appreciated."

The man's jaw dropped in surprise, until Seto's twitching face appeared behind him, setting the man into frantic motion. The doors opened with a click and Seto grinned, then swiftly turned and slid into the backseat, Jou right behind him.

The door was closed with a slam and the car took off quickly, speeding down the road towards the Kaiba mansion.

---

Otogi, with Honda by his side, dutifully stood by the door as the party guests slowly filed out. Some people were muttering about the unsurprising yet still disappointing outcome of Otogi's contest.

"I can't believe that Yuugi Mutou kid won _again_!"

"I mean, who else would have known that that barmaid was Katsuya Jounouchi?"

"Damn, was that disappointing. And he was really hot too, dressed up like a girl!"

"What's that, Kawasaki? Are those your hidden homosexual tendencies I hear?"

"Knock it off Miyaka! You know what I mean! If Jounouchi had been born a girl he would have so been my type!"

"Oh yeah? Well I saw him dancing with the Maha Vailo. Who was that again?"

"Seto Kaiba. How could you forget that?"

"Damn, that's right. Imagine that though! I always thought Jounouchi and Kaiba couldn't stand each other!"

"Must have thought he was a girl too."

"Talk about irony!"

"Yeah; that's just plain weird!"

Otogi and Honda exchanged glances. Honda laughed. "You don't say…" he chuckled.

Suddenly, Yuugi and Anzu were standing in front of the pair, Yuugi happily clutching a pair of tickets for a boat ride, the prize he won from guessing the most guests correctly. Actually, he got them all right.

Yuugi, however, was looking slightly anxious. "Say, have you guys seen Jounouchi? He's supposed to come home with me."

Otogi and Honda shook their heads. "I didn't even see Jou," Otogi said.

"And I had no clue Jou was that scantly clad maid until you won!" Honda added. "Congrats, by the way."

Yuugi blushed. "Thanks. Do you know anyone who might know?"

"I do!" a voice cheerfully chirped from behind the Pharaoh and his Dark Magician Girl. Turning, they saw Bakura with Shizuka on his arm. "Jou and a certain spellcaster walked out of here about twenty minutes ago."

"Spellcaster?"

"Who?"

"You mean the Maha Vailo?" another voice spoke next to Otogi. It was Mai.

"You saw Jounouchi?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah, he and the Maha Vailo walked out of here about a quarter to twelve looking very cozy."

Anzu glanced down at her boyfriend. "Yuugi, who is that?"

"No way!" Honda gasped before Yuugi was able to respond.

"So Jounouchi really is gay!" Otogi added. "Go figure!"

Anzu was beginning to look very confused. "What? I don't understand." She was looking at Yuugi for assistance, but Yuugi was too much in shock to hear her.

"You mean," he whispered, "that Jou left with Kaiba!"

_TBC…_

Yay! So, that's the rest of the masquerade! Actually, what it's lacking are the song lyrics and the lemon…but you'll get to read those if I e-mailed you my LJ links. Anyway, next chapter should be the aftermath…and I'm not quite sure when that'll be up. To play it safe, I'll make my deadline September, so if it comes a little early that's a good thing! I actually don't have chapter six started, so I'll be getting on that soon. In the meantime, please review!


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